In general, the present invention relates to multi-piece ornamental, educational, and puzzle-type arrangements that can be assembled into three-dimensional (3-D) configurations. More particularly, the invention relates to unique 3-D structures that represent an image arranged from elements having a top surface, an undersurface, and a wall-surface around each element""s perimeter, wherein the elements yielding the imaged are generally shaped to represent components of the image. These novel elements, as designed, allow for an initial arrangement wherein a juxtaposed wall-surface of each adjacent element comprises a beveled plane. The elements can be further manually arranged into novel 3-D structure(s) wherein at least a portion of the juxtaposed beveled planes are in releasable friction-interlock and the top surfaces of adjacent elements are tiered. Also, the invention relates to a method of arranging relatively rigid elements into such 3-D structures by slidably positioning the elements along their juxtaposed beveled planes into a releasable frictional-interlock; thereafter, the frictional-interlock may be manually released so adjacent elements can be returned to an initial xe2x80x98loosexe2x80x99 arrangement where the beveled planes are frictionally unlocked, and further separated as desired.
Multi-piece puzzles have been around preoccupying human beings for centuries. By far the most common is the picture puzzle containing dovetailed-type jointed members, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,086,067 and 5,860,650 interconnected into a 3-D castle. More often, dovetailed-type jointed picture puzzles are assembled atop a flat surface such as a coffee table. Quite different from the traditional picture puzzle is the instant invention. According to the invention, the releasable friction-interlock feature of juxtaposed beveled planes allows elements shaped into components (that yield, when arranged, an image) to be slid into a tiered 3-D structure of that image. Though at first glance, the images assembled using the elements of the invention appear to have visual similarities to those found in wooden mosaic-like intarsia plaques created using a scroll-saw to cut out shapes from wood which are permanently glued together in ornamental fashion, a closer look reveals that the unique elements of the invention assembled into the 3-D structures disclosed herein are dramatically different. Traditionally, intarsia pieces are cut from different types of wood of differing thicknesses selected according to its final thickness within the finished, glued-together plaque. Intarsia plaques are merely wooden 3-D mosaic-like inlays that are permanently glued for ornamental use. Another type of inlaid ornamental plaques is referred to as xe2x80x98marquetryxe2x80x99 created by slightly tilting a scrollsaw table to saw a taper between inlay pieces which are then press-fit together with adhesive therebetween to form permanent bonds between the pieces. The end product scrollsawn marquetry is an image permanently inlaid in mosaic-fashion planed flat on top. Plaques constructed into intarsia or as marquetry are not meant to be disassembled.
As one can see, unlike conventional puzzles and educational toys, the innovative elements adapted for arrangement into frictionally-interlocked 3-D structures of pre-selected images, as well as the associated technique of so arranging according to the invention, provide for continued assembly and disassembly of the elements in a visually appealing manner. In the spirit of design goals contemplated hereby, many different types of materials, fabrication/molding/machining techniques, and many different image patterns representing inanimate objects (vehicles, buildings, bikes, and so on), celestial bodies (planets, comets, stars, and the like), maps (street-city, country, state, world, topographic, etc.), mammals, plants, and their bio-components (skeletons, cell structure, etc.), and a whole host of miscellaneous graphic designs (including abstract designs), can be incorporated to create applicant""s unique 3-D structures, as will be further appreciated.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide a plurality of elements for temporary arrangement into a 3-D structure that represents an image, each element having a wall-surface around its perimeter. Elements are adapted to be initially arranged adjacent one another into a pattern of the image such that certain of the wall-surfaces are juxtaposed but not in friction-interlock. These juxtaposed wall-surfaces each comprise a beveled plane such that, to create a 3-D structure of the invention, at least a portion of the beveled planes of juxtaposed wall-surfaces are in releasable friction-interlock. When arranged in a 3-D structure according to the invention, the top surfaces of the frictionally-interlocked adjacent elements are tiered with respect to each other. The 3-D structures can be disassembled by releasing frictionally-interlocked beveled planes allowing the elements to return to an initial arrangement. The loosely arranged elements within an initial unlocked arrangement can be further separated for subsequent reassembly and/or storage.
Elements of the invention can be of a multitude of shapes and sizes so that when arranged, the elements yield any of a variety of images; these images may be of a recognizable shape as well as of abstract images. One or more of the elements may be composed of integral sub-pieces ornamentally inlaid, affixed/glued, hot-melded/thermally bonded, or otherwise adhered in mosaic fashion to yield a component of the overall image.
The advantages of providing the new elements and technique for arranging into 3-D structures of the invention include: (a) simplicity of design; (b) ease of assembly and disassembly; (c) flexibility of usexe2x80x94assembled 3-D structures can be used in an ornamental manner, or a kit comprising several elements can be used as a puzzle for recreational and educational purposes (e.g., to sharpen fine motor skills or for image recognition); (d) relative ease of, and reproducibility in, fabricating elements which can lead to cost-effective bulk manufacture and assembly of elements into kits for their distribution and sale; (e) ease of adapting a multitude of familiar images into 3-D structures of the invention by first breaking down a selected image into components of the image and fabricating elements into shapes that represent those components; and (f) versatility in designxe2x80x94kits can be assembled containing certain elements xe2x80x98commonxe2x80x99 to several different creatable images along with elements shaped to be interchangeablexe2x80x94i.e., xe2x80x98corexe2x80x99 elements common to several image designs, can be used in combination with alternate elements to create different overall images when arranged with the interchangeable elements. These and other advantages plus a better understanding of the distinguishing features of the instant invention, as described and supported by this disclosure, will be readily appreciated.
Briefly described, once again, the invention includes a plurality of elements for arrangement into a three-dimensional (3-D) structure that represents an image. Each of the elements has a base-thickness and comprises a top surface, an undersurface, and a wall-surface around its perimeter. The perimeter of each of the elements yielding the image, is shaped to represent a component thereof. The elements are adapted for initial arrangement wherein a juxtaposed wall-surface of each adjacent element comprises a beveled plane. In the initial arrangement, the undersurface of each element can be arranged in a pattern of the image atop a generally planar surface such that beveled planes of juxtaposed wall-surfaces are frictionally-unlocked. The elements, being preferably relatively rigid, are also adapted for positioning into the 3-D structure wherein at least a portion of juxtaposed beveled planes are in releasable friction-interlock and top surfaces of each element is tiered with respect to any adjacent element(s).
Images for the 3-D structures can be selected from a very wide variety of recognizable images such as an image of a map (street, city, state, country, region, world, etc.), a mammal (for example, in an educational puzzle, this might include the face, bust or profile of a famous person, any portion or the whole of an animal, a skeleton, praying hands, a dove, feet, and so on), a plant, an inanimate object (for example, if a child""s toy, may choose any of a number of vehicles recognizable by a child of a selected age-range, such as a train, boat, plane, car, motorcycle, bike, spacecraft; or the image may be of an action-figure such as superman/woman, a cartoon characters, or holiday figure; etc), a geographic feature (such as a scene or topographic map comprising any one or more of the following: mountain, lake, river/stream, canyon, glacier, ocean, hill, and so on), and any celestial body; or the image may be of an abstract graphic design (for example, corporate logo, graphic of famous art, and so on).
Elements may be made from a variety of materials such as wood (this category includes wood derivatives), polymer resins, fiberglass, ceramic, glass, stone, metal, alloys, and polymeric materials. The planes of juxtaposed wall-surfaces can be beveled at an angle between 0.5-degrees to 18-degrees from vertical, and preferably within a range of about 1-degree to 11-degrees from vertical; the particular angle selected for each beveled plane will depend upon the material of respective juxtaposed wall-surfaces in friction-interlock. The cross-section of the elements can be of a variety of shapes. The beveled planes of juxtaposed wall-surfaces matched for releasable friction-interlock will be oriented oppositely as a declining and inclining sloped pair, the particular orientation of each matched pair to depend upon directional movement of respective adjacent elements into the releasable friction-interlock position. For example, within a 3-D structure, certain of the elements might require a push in an upwardly direction into friction-interlock while other of the elements within the same 3-D structure are pushed downwardlyxe2x80x94resulting in a structure with several different levels of tiers among internally located elements that yield the image. In any case, preferably upon releasing the friction-interlock of adjacent elements, they can be returned to an initial arrangement.
By way of example, a 3-D structure as characterized, includes a first of the elements at least partially surrounded by a second of the elementsxe2x80x94the second element being interposed between this first element and a fifth element. This fifth element can be designed such that it frames the image. A beveled plane around the first element is sloped such that an edge-perimeter around the undersurface of the first element is greater than an edge-perimeter around its top surface. A third element is surrounded by the first element; a beveled plane around the third element is sloped such that an edge-perimeter around the undersurface of this third element is smaller than an edge-perimeter around its top surface. A fourth element is likewise surrounded by the first element; a beveled plane around the fourth element is likewise sloped: an edge-perimeter around its undersurface is smaller than an edge-perimeter around its top surface.
A base-thickness, t, is referenced and identified for the elements; it extends generally between the undersurface and a top surface of an element. The base-thicknesses of each element in a 3-D structure may be approximately equal, or the elements within a particular 3-D structure may be of varying base-thicknesses. The top surface of any of the elements may be contoured to coincide with features of the image. One or more of the elements may be composed of integral sub-pieces ornamentally inlaid, affixed/glued, hot-melded/thermally bonded, or otherwise adhered in mosaic fashion to yield a component of the overall image.
In another characterization of the invention, the plurality of elements are arranged into a 3-D structure that represents an image. Once again, each element has a base-thickness and comprises a top surface, an undersurface, and a wall-surface around a perimeter; a juxtaposed wall-surface of each adjacent element comprises a beveled plane, at least a portion of which is in releasable friction-interlock; the perimeter of each of the elements yielding the image is shaped to represent a component thereof; and top surfaces of each element is tiered with respect to an adjacent element.
Also characterized is an associated method of arranging a plurality of relatively rigid elements into a three-dimensional structure that represents an image. First of all, each of the elements is provided with a top surface, an undersurface, and a wall-surface around a perimeter; whereby the perimeter of each of the elements yielding the image, is shaped to represent a component of the image. Next, the elements are arranged in an initial arrangement such that a beveled plane of the wall-surface of each adjacent element is juxtaposed. Then, adjacent elements are slidably positioned along their juxtaposed beveled planes into a releasable frictional-interlock of the structure wherein the top surface of each adjacent element is tiered with respect to its adjacent element(s). Additionally, upon releasing the frictional-interlock, the elements can be returned to their frictionally-unlocked initial arrangement. Features pointed out above in connection with elements that can be arranged into 3-D structures of the invention, are accommodated by the method of the invention.